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I just found a site which has japanese lessons whose main character is an aikidoka visiting Japan to practice at honbu. all free, all downloadable, available with explanation in a ton of other languages!

I just found a site which has japanese lessons whose main character is an aikidoka visiting Japan to practice at honbu. all free, all downloadable, available with explanation in a ton of other languages!

Awesome, thanks! Our group is planning a trip in November to Japan for the anniversary of Shioda Gozo Sensei and this will help greatly! We are there for around two weeks and only have three days of pre-registered events to do so I am sure some people will make their way to Aikikai honbu. I would love to go to Daito Ryu honbu to visit Kondo Sensei's dojo but I think a requirement is at least a modicum of conversational Japanese...at least telepohonic inquires are required to be in Japanese. Thanks again!

I have not read all the posts, but just wanted to add this comment. I trained in Aikido in Japan for over ten years my Japanese was rubbish and is still rubbish as I found many people in Tokyo speak reasonable English. The point is: in some ways not speaking Japanese in Japan when learning Aikido is an advantage as you have to pay a lot more attention in class and very carefully watch what the teacher id doing. You can not learn Aikido by talking about it in any language.

I just like to learn japanese so I can play japanese games and watch anime without the annoying subs.

I concur on paying more attention... its always said that when deprived of one of our senses, other senses becomes more active to compensate... so I guess, our eyes kick in, and our meta-comprehension gets a boost this way. If the sensei talks a lot though without much physical demonstration, then you're toast... and there are a few sensei's in hombu that does just that.

Draw strength from stillness. Learn to act without acting. And never underestimate a samurai cat.

I have not read all the posts, but just wanted to add this comment. I trained in Aikido in Japan for over ten years my Japanese was rubbish and is still rubbish as I found many people in Tokyo speak reasonable English. The point is: in some ways not speaking Japanese in Japan when learning Aikido is an advantage as you have to pay a lot more attention in class and very carefully watch what the teacher id doing. You can not learn Aikido by talking about it in any language.

In the days when humanoids hadn't developed language, Thag's son learned how to throw a spear by watching Thag throw a spear, and then practicing.
Or - so it must have happened. No video, no lecture hall, no youtube.

More recently, the lectures we had in "how people learn" during PE undergrad studies showed that people pay more attention to demonstration by "significant peer" than by "instructor" or "expert performer" I think the contrast is "instructor" is an expert, perhaps, but he's been doing this for a really long time and I find this difficult... An "expert performer" - well, they're making it look so easy - I'll never be that good. (Neither of these interpretations include the number of years that the instructor or EP spent learning the movement.) However, a "significant peer" who's usually a person of similar age who may have only recently learned the movement gets the reaction "Hey, he (or she) can do it, I bet I can do that too - let's see, the left hand was here, the... right foot did this, the body was positioned here" but all in non-verbal internal dialogue where the person is imagining his/her body doing the movement...

You know, I'd like to see a progressive Japanese lesson wherein the visiting foreigner successfully uses Japanese to woo a Japanese native. That's useful stuff, never properly taught. And it'd be so simple, too! The foreigner says, "XX-san no koto, suki desu. Tsukiatte kudasai. And the Japanese person could reply, "Watashi mo (boku mo), OO-san koto ga suki desu. Onegasi-shimasu," or the worst case scenario, "Gomen-nasai. Tomodachi de imashou." But, it's always like this lesson: the foreigner kinda likes some Japanese person, but they never actually take the plunge, and the trip ends with them going home, vaguely unfulfilled. At least this lesson does teach other useful stuff, like asking for someone's phone number, and inviting someone out for a meal. On the other hand, it also includes a major gut-punch: Leo goes through all this trouble picking out a present and getting it wrapped for this girl he likes, and when she gets off the phone, she says, "Sorry, that was my boyfriend." Ouch! If only Leo had learned the useful "Kareshi imasu ka?"

Last edited by Josh Reyer : 05-23-2010 at 07:40 AM.

Josh Reyer

The lyf so short, the crafte so longe to lerne,
Th'assay so harde, so sharpe the conquerynge...
- Chaucer

You know, I'd like to see a progressive Japanese lesson wherein the visiting foreigner successfully uses Japanese to woo a Japanese native. That's useful stuff, never properly taught. And it'd be so simple, too! The foreigner says, "XX-san no koto, suki desu. Tsukiatte kudasai. And the Japanese person could reply, "Watashi mo (boku mo), OO-san koto ga suki desu. Onegasi-shimasu," or the worst case scenario, "Gomen-nasai. Tomodachi de imashou." But, it's always like this lesson: the foreigner kinda likes some Japanese person, but they never actually take the plunge, and the trip ends with them going home, vaguely unfulfilled. At least this lesson does teach other useful stuff, like asking for someone's phone number, and inviting someone out for a meal. On the other hand, it also includes a major gut-punch: Leo goes through all this trouble picking out a present and getting it wrapped for this girl he likes, and when she gets off the phone, she says, "Sorry, that was my boyfriend." Ouch! If only Leo had learned the useful "Kareshi imasu ka?"

I have friends who were stationed in Japan and came back with wives...lol.

Dear Aikidoka and fellow Aikido Sensei, I just learn my personal experience from the Humbo. It is nice during Bunkai and Waza Examinations. From Aikidorei to Waza to Bunkai was hard moments and the Gaku Sensei was angry when not performed will. The Shiko which I did Perform was not the instruction should have been Goshino Kata copy from the original of Doshu Kenji Tomiki . I was surprised with thus Japanese Instructors carry the Folder of Grading Manuals. My Personal Instructor of Shodokan Aikido My Father Nicanor Ybanez Albano was unhappy because of not doing the the Shiko to Nage from Shomen Uchi.

There is actually a book called Making Out in Japanese by Todd and Erika Geers that has some of what Josh is mentioning in it. It's pretty funny, and useful. Just remember that context is everything in Japanese culture.

It was quite embarrassing when people in the Iwama Dojo would pick up the Japanese that was spoken to them and use the same level of politeness (or rather lack thereof) towards Saito Sensei. I remember him giving me a clear explanation of when you could call yourself "boku" and when not - for instance not when speaking with Saito Sensei :-) Live and learn...luckily the mistakes I made were ones that let me live :-)